Have you ever spent too much time in bed trying to fall asleep, but you couldn’t, or maybe you woke multiple times and couldn’t have a soothing, long sleep session? Have you ever thought about what causes insomnia? The following article will provide insomnia Natural Remedies…
Well, the odds are that at one point or another, you’ve experienced insomnia.
Insomnia refers to the inability to fall asleep or when someone excessively awakes during that night.
When we sleep, our brain is busy consolidating short-term memories into long-term memories.Our sleep is also a time to reset, repair, and heal, so sleep is vital to our overall health and well being. If you suffer from what causes insomnia use these insomnia natural remedies..
Research has shown that persistent insomnia can have certain side effects on the body, including but not limited to:
- Greater fat mass
- Impaired cognitive function and problem solving
- Higher risk of insulin resistance and diabetes
- Decrease testosterone production and reduce its synthesis capacity
With that problem in mind, it’s fair to say that anyone experiencing insomnia needs a proper solution and use of insomnia natural remedies.
And the truth is that there isn’t a go-to supplement or a “sleep hack” because sleep pattern regulation is affected by various environmental, habitual factors, biochemical, and neurological factors which can be what causes insomnia.
Now let’s have a look at the most important insomnia natural remedies and what anyone can do to bulletproof their sleep!
Exercise
More exercise is one of the insomnia natural remedies. All kinds of exercise, ranging from meditative yoga to intense resistance training or aerobic exercise, have been shown to improve sleep quality and overall health (1).
Some people might wonder if night exercise is bad for sleep or would be one of the sleep tips for insomnia? Well, first of all, it is better than no exercise.
Nevertheless, you should be aware that exercise is associated with increased adrenaline production, leading to awakening.
In fact, one study found that high-intensity exercise in the evening disrupted REM sleep (2).
Exercising at night is better than nothing, but it would be better to exercise during the day.
Also, consider the fact that the human nervous system is primed to be most active during the day, meaning that working out at night may rob you of performance! A hypervigilant nervous system is a potential for what causes insomnia.
If nothing stops you from doing it, train during daylight and recover at night!
Consistent Sleeping Schedule
Almost all physiological changes in our body follow a 24-hour schedule, based on the guide of temperature and light. Keeping a consistent sleeping schedule is one of the insomnia natural remedies.
This 24-hour schedule is known as our circadian rhythm. Having an irregular circadian rhythm can be what causes insomnia.
Studies found that inconsistent sleep schedules can impair the quality of our sleep (3).
Going to bed at the same time daily will improve sleep quality and reduce sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep). This is one of the environmental sleep tips for insomnia. If you have an erratic schedule or work at night it can be challenging to re regulate the circadian rhythm.
It would be even better if you try to have some kind of constant routine.
For example, taking a hot shower, brushing your teeth, or doing meditation are some of the insomnia natural remedies.
These things can act as a signal for your brain, telling it that it is time to sleep.
Screen Light
Unfortunately, these days we have become addicted to our smartphones and laptops. Although these devices are great in many aspects, they can hurt our sleep. One of the insomnia natural remedies is to reduce your screen light.
Exposure to blue light, which is emitted by screens of smartphones and computers, lowers melatonin production.
And well, this can make it hard for you to fall asleep and can be what causes insomnia.
This was confirmed by many studies that found that light from smartphones reduced sleepiness in young adults (6).
You shouldn’t only avoid blue light for electronic devices. Still, you might also want to consider avoiding any source of bright light 1-2 hours before sleep as sleep tips for insomnia.
Using blue-light blocking glasses or activating night mode on your device can also help reduce exposure to blue light.
Caffeine Consumption
Caffeine has numerous benefits for our health. However, you should be aware that it blocks the adenosine receptors in our brain, promoting alertness and enhancing mood. Having an abundance of caffeine can be what causes insomnia, especially if you do not metabolize caffeine well.
One thing to note is that the body doesn’t become desensitized to this effect. This is why caffeine never loses its stimulating effect entirely.
Therefore, if you have been drinking lots of coffee for many years, don’t think that it no longer impacts you.
Caffeine has a 6-hours half-life. So, avoiding caffeine six hours before bedtime is one of the insomnia natural remedies that can be an excellent strategy to enhance sleep latency and improve sleep quality
Supplements
Now, if you have all of the above in check but still aren’t getting optimal results, then you may want to consider supplementation as insomnia natural remedies.
Supplements can be beneficial to help what causes insomnia.
Let’s have a look at the two most effective supplements for sleep – Gaba & lavender.
GABA
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a chemical that is made in the brain and also found in some foods.
GABA works by blocking brain signals (neurotransmissions).GABA is a naturally occurring amino acid that works as a neurotransmitter in your brain. GABA is one of the insomnia natural remedies. Neurotransmitters function as chemical messengers within the brain. GABA is considered an inhibitory neurotransmitter because it blocks, or inhibits, certain brain signals and decreases activity in your nervous system.
When GABA attaches to a protein in your brain known as a GABA receptor, it produces a calming effect. This can help with feelings of anxiety, stress, and fear. It may also help to prevent seizures. This is one of the insomnia natural remedies that is helpful for those who have a history of trauma, anxiety, or suffer from overthinking at bedtime.
In a small 2018 study, participants who took 300 milligrams (mg)Trusted Source of GABA an hour before going to bed fell asleep faster than those taking a placebo. They also reported improved sleep quality four weeks after starting treatment. (4) This is one of the insomnia natural remedies.
Lavender
Besides GABA which has a direct impact on your sleep chemistry, there are other insomnia natural remedies that can help you relax, unwind, and in turn, induce sleep.
Lavender can control insomnia, enhance relaxation, and improve sleep quality (5).
It is particularly helpful if your insomnia is due to stress or anxiety since lavender has a hypnotic effect on the brain. Insomnia natural remedies include putting drops of lavender on your pillow, diffusing the lavender in the room where you sleep, or putting lavender on your neck or wrists.
Besides… It smells amazing.
Take-Home Message
Good sleep is a major cornerstone for a healthy life. It can help you perform better physically, mentally, and sexually, so hopefully these tips for insomnia natural remedies are helpful.
Some tricks like avoiding blue light and caffeine before sleep can help enhance your sleep quality using insomnia natural remedies to help what causes insomnia.
Adding exercise and having a fixed sleep schedule can help as well.
If you are still having a problem, many supplements like GABA and lavender have been shown to control insomnia and improve sleep.
What are your go-to habits & products to use during times of restlessness? Comment below!
References
1- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25903450/
2- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34416428/
3- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28607474/
4- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6031986/
5- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16520572/
6- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28017916/
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